Black Michigan Students Tweet Concerns: #BBUM

Submitted by Scott Jaschik on November 20, 2013 - 3:00am

The Black Student Union at the University of Michigan has urged its members to describe the issues they face via Twitter and the hashtag #BBUM[1] (for "Being Black at the University of Michigan") is generating discussion at Michigan and elsewhere. Among the tweets: BBUM "is working in study groups and your answer to the question always requires a double check before approval" and "is being the only black person in class, and having other races look at you to be the spokesperson whenever black history is brought up" and "I'm afraid to wear my natural hair ... because I don't want to deal with the questions." The university responded on the hashtag with: "Thanks for engaging in this conversation. We’re listening, and will be sure all of your voices are heard."

This month a black student at the University of California at Los Angeles set off a debate about race[2] with his YouTube video about the experience of being black there.